Sahel Regional

About Sahel Regional

Significant chronic vulnerability in the Sahel has taken hold as a result of a combination of factors, including poverty, marginalization, weak governance, low rainfall, population pressure and high population growth, food price volatility, and climate variability.

In 2011, irregular rainfall combined with civil conflict, high food prices and shocks such as locust infestation rendered more than 18 million people food insecure, according to FAO.

In an effort to move beyond just addressing the symptoms of these factors, the Sahel Joint Planning Cell (JPC) was formed to bring together the expertise of both USAID humanitarian assistance and development assistance actors in finding innovative and collaborative ways to build resilience among vulnerable populations in the Sahel.